Parents across the U.S. forced to choose between work and watching kids

Parents across the country are trying to figure out a balance between work and watching their kids.

Options continue to narrow as families are forced to reconsider childcare options in midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have it good in many ways, however it's still been a real challenge for us over the last few months," parent Deb Perelman said.

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Deb and her recently laid-off husband, Alex, have been trying to balance work expectations and how to be good parents to their two young kids.

A recent New York Times article suggests you can't do both.

Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 72% of all mothers with kids under the age of the 18 were working or looking for work.

Deb fears many women will feel as though they have to give up work to take care of their kids, full time

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"Childcare has always been an issue. It's never been easy for working parents to figure out what to do with their kids all day. And this isn't a new problem," Deb said. "It's not okay to tell working parents that they should lose their livelihood. It's not okay to say that you can go to a bar or restaurant or hair salon, but your kids can't finish kindergarten."

Some families have other choices, such as having family members help take care of the kids, but other families don't have as many options.

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